A Fe3O4–carbon nanofiber/gold nanoparticle hybrid for enzymatic biofuel cells with larger power output

Abstract

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) are considered as a promising approach to meet the requirements of power sources. Electrode materials, which are significant factors to affect the power output of EBFCs, have aroused great interest. Herein, we developed an EBFC using a Fe₃O₄–carbon nanofiber/gold nanoparticle hybrid as the substrate electrode for improving the performance of the power output. The open-circuit voltage (E^ocv) of the designed EBFC reached 0.68 ± 0.03 V, and the maximum power density (P_max) reached 126 ± 4.5 μW cm⁻². The as-prepared EBFC showed 3 times higher P_max compared to the EBFC based on the carbon nanofiber/gold nanoparticle hybrid, which was ascribed to the good electrocatalytic activity of Fe₃O₄ NP loaded carbon nanofibers (CNFs), the 3D porous structure of CNFs as well as the uniform distribution of Au NPs. The Fe₃O₄–CNF/gold nanoparticle hybrid is considered as a promising candidate for constructing electrochemical biosensors and biofuel cells.